Hardiman wrote: What historical figures are so discredited that it’s considered impermissible to say the least thing positive in their favor?

I’d
say Adolf Hitler qualifies, to begin with the obvious. So would Osama
bin Laden and Benedict Arnold -- in the United States at least.

For
me, however, that last example illustrates the fragile tightrope we
walk. There’s a fine line, after all, between Benedict Arnold and Nathan
Hale. If the English had won the Revolutionary War, we might be calling
Arnold a patriot instead of a traitor. And, of course, we wouldn’t be
calling it the Revolutionary War.

So who’s salvageable? And just
how much of the answer depends on historical context? Think about our
customs. Think about who our heroes are.

I've noticed some people are known for the best things they
do and others for the worst. If you have a good reputation you can get
excused for a lot. If you get in trouble too young, it's almost
impossible to live it down. When you step back, it sometimes seems two
people might have done the same things, but one is a hero and the other a
criminal.

Ozzie is entitled to his opinion and in fact voice his
opinion. It sounds as if his comment was not during a game or any type
of baseball function, but to members of THE PRESS. At the end of the
day the people, the fans, and sponsors will eventually vote with their
wallets one way or another.

duocore2 believes the oppressed and the oppressor will always be part of history:

Human history has always been the oppressed and those who do the
oppressing. The slave and the master. It wasn't until this country and
its government came into being that any hope of humanity changing its
course was going to take place.

The chains that enslaved mankind were beginning to become broken when
the United States declared her Independence. The idea that all men are
created equal before the All Mighty began to take hold and in spite of
the weakness of man, that flame could not be extinguished.

Pain, suffering and blood have been the price to bring those words
into fruitarian. The uniqueness that the independence of the Back Man
and American Indian entwined within those who kept freedom from them has
made this a bumpy ride. But sir you are and will always be an American
whose forefathers black and white paved the way for where you are
today. As a white man please accept becoming my blood brother and claim
your right to the freedom we have. Peace

Do you agree that the same people may be good and bad. Or is there a cavern between the two?